Food and wine cruise on sojourn april 2015

Hello cruisers,

We are back from the "Food and Wine Cruise" 4/18/2015 on the Sojourn.

Conserning the food,Sojourn made a poor impression on us.

This was our second cruise with Seabourn,and the first( mai 2014 Quest )was perfect.Is it bad luck,or has it something to do with the take over by HAL.

Does i stand alone with this negative experience?

Thanks for your reactions.

G. and R.

I am very sorry that you did not enjoy the food on your cruise -- especially as it was billed as a food and wine cruise.i just returned from the final Legend cruise and thought the food was terrific. And even though they did not promote it was a food and wine cruise it really was as we had two guest chefs , a special shopping with the chef ( should have been called eating and drinking with the chef), and many nice locally sourced wines. Can you be more specific as to what you felt went wrong? And HAlL took over the management of Seabourn a few years ago so whatever the issues with the food.they cannot be attributed to that.

Really sorry to hear this - I agree that it is not likely to have anything to with HAL per se. You were supposed to have guest chefs on board; it would be interesting to hear more about your experience, and anyone else who was on this cruise. Our recent experiences, mainly on Quest, have been very good indeed, food-wise.

Hello cruisers,

See my review on cruise critic ,Sojourn,named :Seabourn is changing in the wrong direction.And honestly every word is true!

hear from you

G and R

Sorry our first cruise with Seabourn was on Odysey

G and R

Having just read the review by lis1407 I do hope someone else who was on this cruise will let us know what they thought.

We were on the same cruise. Our experience was totally the opposite. We never had a bad meal on this cruise. But then again. Quality of food is subjective.

We would do a Food & Wine cruise again.

Hello cruisers,

See my review on cruise critic ,Sojourn,named :Seabourn is changing in the wrong direction.And honestly every word is true!

hear from you

G and R

We were on the same cruise. Our experience was totally the opposite. We never had a bad meal on this cruise. But then again. Quality of food is subjective.

We would do a Food & Wine cruise again.

Well this sure clears things up:p

Well this sure clears things up:p

I am sure we understand how this happens. Food is so subjective and the example below demonstrates this.

When we sailed on Legend last August we met another couple on their first Seabourn cruise. We and also Mr L who was also on the cruise, thought the food was really wonderful. For the other couple it wasn't to their taste and the husband especially would be reluctant to sail on Seabourn again because of this.

Julie

I am sure we understand how this happens. Food is so subjective and the example below demonstrates this.

 

When we sailed on Legend last August we met another couple on their first Seabourn cruise. We and also Mr L who was also on the cruise, thought the food was really wonderful. For the other couple it wasn't to their taste and the husband especially would be reluctant to sail on Seabourn again because of this.

 

Julie

I know:D

I was more making fun of having a n of two where the responses were diametrically opposed.

I'm always curious when people don't like the food on a line (or in general). It makes me wonder what they grew up with, what the usually eat at home and what in particular they didn't care for on the ship.

As lis1407 states in the first line of his review

"Our last cruise on Seabourn in may 2014 was our best so far after 36 cruises......"

So the style of cuisine on Seabourn was not an unknown factor.

The criticism is one of quality of ingredients, preparation, and presentation.

For example:

" On the menu two delicious items:Tournedos Rossini for me and Sole for the lady who is a fishlover. Apparently there is a new version of this tournedos WITHOUT fois gras NO truffle and NO mushroom.

This was the well overcooked dry and luke warm version whit a timble of tasteless gravy.

According to the menu,the amorphous little hill on the plate must have been the sole. The presentation was a shame on both of the plates."

I probably should not even come back to this subject, but a few things sound so unlikely - foie gras that was not: certainly SB do serve foie gras mousse, which is so labelled on the menu, but to me it definitely has foie gras in it, and seared foie gras has always been that for sure. Orange juice that is half water; certainly never had that.

If all these 'facts' are in fact the case, then something is seriously wrong. Please, HanL, go into a bit more detail of your own experiences. The occasional dish being not up to scratch we have all had, but not this catalogue of disasters. Plus not being greeted properly, and not being sent to the Colonnade for lunch rather than the Patio Grill. Never happened to us in all our many Seabourn days.

I would also like to hear what the special chefs brought to the table (sorry). We did have one on one cruise who was a complete waste of time, and the staff quietly agreed.

I know:D

 

I was more making fun of having a n of two where the responses were diametrically opposed.

 

I'm always curious when people don't like the food on a line (or in general). It makes me wonder what they grew up with, what the usually eat at home and what in particular they didn't care for on the ship.

Dear Emperor Norton

I wonder if You have read my review on CC.

I know that taste is very subjectif,but if the chef don't know how to prepare a decent sole or T.R. then i think what is he doing on a food and wine cruise.

When they put fois gras on the menu,and the thing on your plate is NOT fois gras,lobster is changing into langoustine,then it is ,in my opinion,another matter,and that has nothing to do with what and how i grew up.

I presume You don't mean that i am a spoiled kid with bad food at home.

I am glad for HanL,so we had bad luck.

I don't mean to insult anybody,and maybe its my fault not using the proper words,but i think that English Voyager is the only one who understood what i ment to say.

G and R

...

This was our second cruise with Seabourn,and the first( mai 2014 Quest )was perfect...

As lis1407 states in the first line of his review

 

"Our last cruise on Seabourn in may 2014 was our best so far after 36 cruises......"

 

So the style of cuisine on Seabourn was not an unknown factor.

 

...

Why quote the 36 cruises when they mention that the cruise under discussion was their second Seabourn cruise.

Dear Lincslady

Of course its Your right to doubt my words,and probably You never experienced what we did,but i am talking about this cruise.

WE WERE NOT SEND TO PATIO OR COLLONADE? WE WERE NOT SEND ANYWERE.HELP YOURSELF.About fois gras,its not because its labelled on the menu that they serve it.They did not serve pate or terrine fois gras,thats what i wanted to say.

I can not judge the seared fois gras,that supposed on top of a T.R because they forgot it.Like i putted in my review our best cruise ever was on Seabourn one year ago,so don't think that i write this for my pleasure, or that i make things up.

Sorry for my bad English

Greets from G and R.

Dear Emperor Norton

I wonder if You have read my review on CC.

I know that taste is very subjectif,but if the chef don't know how to prepare a decent sole or T.R. then i think what is he doing on a food and wine cruise.

When they put fois gras on the menu,and the thing on your plate is NOT fois gras,lobster is changing into langoustine,then it is ,in my opinion,another matter,and that has nothing to do with what and how i grew up.

I presume You don't mean that i am a spoiled kid with bad food at home.

I am glad for HanL,so we had bad luck.

I don't mean to insult anybody,and maybe its my fault not using the proper words,but i think that English Voyager is the only one who understood what i ment to say.

G and R

I didn't imply anything. I mentioned I was merely curious.

We were on the same cruise as lis1407, and I tend to agree about some of the food on this cruise.

We had two Celebrity Chefs on board and we thought that their meals in the MDR were far worse than the normal Chef on board.

In fact one course, which supposed to be gourmet food, we had one course which was just Olive Oil Braised Vegetables. To me not a lot of thought went into that. Another was called Mesclun Salad with Viniaigrette, this was Tapenade spread on a piece of toasted bread with a sun dried tomato topping.

Again not very inspiring.

We were on the same cruise as lis1407, and I tend to agree about some of the food on this cruise.

 

 

 

We had two Celebrity Chefs on board and we thought that their meals in the MDR were far worse than the normal Chef on board.

 

 

 

In fact one course, which supposed to be gourmet food, we had one course which was just Olive Oil Braised Vegetables. To me not a lot of thought went into that. Another was called Mesclun Salad with Viniaigrette, this was Tapenade spread on a piece of toasted bread with a sun dried tomato topping.

 

 

 

Again not very inspiring.

Thanks for more clarification as to the food issues.

I did wonder what a Celebrity Chef that comes onboard a ship for a week could possibly do to better what the regular Seabourn chefs can and do all of the time.

Well on our farewell Legend cruise the guest chefs, both former longtime Seabourn chefs were very good. Each gave a cooking demo and put on a Chef's dinner. The second one by Chef Santoosh was easily the best dinner I have EVER had on Seabourn and I don't usually like the Chef's dinners as they often, IMHO, tend to favor creativity over taste( or what I call tortured food!)

I am pleased to get more clarifications on the food issues too. The difference regarding special chefs has to be that former Seabourn chefs know all about the galley and the abilities of the staff there, plus lots of other important details, whereas a special 'Celebrity Chef' coming on board has none of this knowledge and (possibly) finds it difficult to work with things like supplies on board, very different from a land based restaurant. Certainly the one we encountered on one cruise did nothing apart from demonstrate and then one evening produce one very unexciting green salad dish.

Why quote the 36 cruises when they mention that the cruise under discussion was their second Seabourn cruise.

Because it indicates that lis1407 is not new to cruising, and that there is a breadth, and depth, to his knowledge/experience of at least eight cruise lines' cuisine upon which to draw when commenting on the cuisine on his second Seabourn cruise.

I probably should not even come back to this subject, but a few things sound so unlikely - foie gras that was not: certainly SB do serve foie gras mousse, which is so labelled on the menu, but to me it definitely has foie gras in it, and seared foie gras has always been that for sure.

 

Dear Lincslady

As you wrote in Your answer:"which is so labelled on the menu"

Do you know that "FAUX GRAS"is on the marked (for understandable reasons ) and that we drink more CHABLIS ( only in the benelux ) than the region can produce?Despite every bottle is labelled "chablis"and that years ago there were Bourgogne wines on the marked,labelled ALOXE-CORTON,NUITS-ST-GEORGES........AND MANY OTHERS......

TO POINT OUT TO BE" GENERIQUES" WINES FROM MOROCCO.

Also Austria had wine on the marked with a very highly alcoholic content, the alc.turned out to be ANTI-FREEZE FOR CARS where the wine was blend with.the alc. cont.was labelled.

So my point is that as You probably know:do not believe everything you read.I am not saying that SB is playing that game

I think you can agree with that.

Have a nice day.

G and R

Yes, lis1407, I have heard lots about the false wines (not so much food, except caviar perhaps), including some supposed top growths of Bordeaux wines.

I have had foie gras quite a few times, over many years, and unless it has all been something else, that which I have eaten recently on Seabourn has appeared to look and taste exactly the same as ever. You do write 'I am not saying that SB is playing that game', but your remarks about the foie gras sounded like that, to me. If it is not proper foie gras, what do you think it is? I am not being nasty, would genuinely like to know. I believe you are or were in the food industry, so I am sure you have knowledge.

I probably should not even come back to this subject, but a few things sound so unlikely - foie gras that was not: certainly SB do serve foie gras mousse, which is so labelled on the menu, but to me it definitely has foie gras in it, and seared foie gras has always been that for sure. Orange juice that is half water; certainly never had that.

 

If all these 'facts' are in fact the case, then something is seriously wrong. Please, HanL, go into a bit more detail of your own experiences. The occasional dish being not up to scratch we have all had, but not this catalogue of disasters. Plus not being greeted properly, and not being sent to the Colonnade for lunch rather than the Patio Grill. Never happened to us in all our many Seabourn days.

 

I would also like to hear what the special chefs brought to the table (sorry). We did have one on one cruise who was a complete waste of time, and the staff quietly agreed.

Yes, lis1407, I have heard lots about the false wines (not so much food, except caviar perhaps), including some supposed top growths of Bordeaux wines.

 

I have had foie gras quite a few times, over many years, and unless it has all been something else, that which I have eaten recently on Seabourn has appeared to look and taste exactly the same as ever. You do write 'I am not saying that SB is playing that game', but your remarks about the foie gras sounded like that, to me. If it is not proper foie gras, what do you think it is? I am not being nasty, would genuinely like to know. I believe you are or were in the food industry, so I am sure you have knowledge.

I am glad to hear You again,because i was thinking you were angry on me.

Indeed i was in the food industry for many years,and i think i know some tricks. Generally "If YOU ARE NOT CHEATED,THEY FORGOT"is problely exaggerated,but it is not far from the truth also.You are right about caviar.

About OUR topic,i believe you when you say you had foie gras.

I still say on this cruise there was once fois gras on the menu,what i ordered.What lied on the plate was a piece of pate in the chape of a piece of cake,as big and as thick as that,and it was very dry and you had to cut it with your knife.It was covered with something black like chocolate on a cake,never saw that.There is always a little bit of "aspic" on the plate and a taost or "brioche" Not now. New version of the chef?What it realy was i don't know,it had something to do with liver that's for sure.You know the texture of foie gras.Dit you ever needed your knife?

I was in the Perigord ( france )were the foie gras is produced many times to buy for my business,along with many other delicious things,but never needed a knife.

Again i can only speak for this cruise,so i think we were both wright.

Hopely this english is good enough for make my thoughts clear.

G and R